Return from Active Duty and back to the classroom
Dr. Mike McFarland is an assistant professor returned from active duty service in the Air National Guard.
Contact:
Dr. Mike McFarland
Canyon, TX—Dr. Mike McFarland, an assistant professor for the Department of Communication at West Texas A&M University, spent his 2019 spring semester deployed for 9.5 months for the Air National Guard.
“You’re usually doing something completely different than your teaching job, so it takes a while to remember how to do things,” McFarland said. “It doesn’t help that you’re usually in a completely different environment.”
During Dr.McFarlands most recent deployment, he spent his time at: Otis Air National Guard Base, MA, Fort Dix, NJ, McGuire Air Force Base, NJ, Lackland Air Force Base, TX, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Air Base 201, Agadez, Niger (Africa), Air Base 202, Niamey, Niger (Africa).
“We were involved with the Tactical-To-Enduring (TTE) mission,” McFarland said. “Our primary responsibility was to determine and implement the communication requirements for bases in Africa and Greece. “Our secondary responsibility was supporting a deployed Engineering and Installation Squadron (EIS) in Africa.”
Dr. McFarland said having the Department of Communication make arrangements to cover his classes during his deployment impacted not only him but the department itself.
About WTAMU’s Department of Communication
The Department of Communication has two undergraduate programs, media
communication and communication studies as well as a master’s program in
communication. For more information, please visit,
https://www.wtamu.edu/academics/communication.aspx
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